Newbie first post

[oilheadron]

Just joined the CBX elite. I own my own shop (Barely Legal Bikes in Athens, AL), have had quite a few bikes, but never a CBX, so it was time.

The bike is a '79, and the first thing I need to address is the stripped front cam chain tensioner (actually the 8mm threads in the block are stripped; they will barely hold the adjuster bolt, but not tight enough to lock it down with the locknut). The bolt itself is fine.

Fix?? 8mm Timsert using the stock adjuster bolt?? Tap the hole itself out to 10mm and use a 10mm bolt for the adjuster??? 10mm Timsert and use a 10mm bolt?? J-B Weld the whole mess??

Also, some Neanderthal has poked holes in whatever it is that caps the front opening in the tensioner casting. Jeez. It looks like a sheet metal plug that's pressed into place; is that stock???? What can I use to replace it?? They had some sealant covering it, and it worked, but...

[EMS]

I have heli-coiled the threads on that, but it is difficult to do with the head installed and you really need to be careful with the chips. The original plug in the front is a rubber plug.
That being said, I have done a different conversion once by plugging the original hole and tapping the front hole and inserting a bolt until it just hits the tensioner rod. Then lock the bolt with a counter nut. You want to pevent the tensioner rod sliding forward in the head and an axial bolt will do just that much easier than the radial set bolt. I have no idea why Honda designed the thing like this, but having other bikes with poorly designed cam chain tensoners, it almost seems to me that this is a job the companies give to college graduates to try out their first design tasks.

[oilheadron]

I have done a different conversion once by plugging the original hole and tapping the front hole and inserting a bolt until it just hits the tensioner rod. Then lock the bolt with a counter nut.

All things considered, I like that idea a lot.

Also, we'll give free CBX dyno time to any members in our area (Athens in North Alabama).